Incoming City Manager Tomas "Tommy" Gonzalez hit the ground running even before the starting gun went off.

He's been to El Paso several times since being hired as the city's second city manager on May 20, although he doesn't officially start work until Monday.

Gonzalez said he's met with the mayor, deputy city manager, department heads, business leaders and each of the eight city representatives and has been "very busy and very focused."

One of the first things Gonzalez has delved into is the city budget that is now being drafted.

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Cindy Ramirez

Gonzalez said he doesn't expect to make many changes this year because it's almost ready to be presented to City Council for review. But he said he has asked staff and council to search for and consider new revenue streams that could help increase the city's coffers. He wouldn't talk specifics, but didn't rule out possibilities such as franchise fees the council has previously voted against and new or increased fees for city services.

"I just want to start the conversation about what we can if not this year, in the coming years so that it's understood that when there's commitments in place about new or increased projects and services that they're going to cost money," Gonzalez said.

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The proposed city budget is expected to be presented to the council in mid-July after which a series of workshops with various departments will be held to fine-tune it before it's adopted in August. The current budget is $801 million.

Gonzalez said he has asked city staff to "look at ways to focus more on customer-oriented training and service that we can measure."

Incoming El Paso City Manager Tommy Gonzalez walks outside CITY 1 building at 300 N. Campbell on his way to CITY 2 across Mills St., during a visit on Thursday. Gonzalez will officially begin his job as city manager on Monday. (Rudy Gutierrez — El Paso Times)

Gonzalez is big on surveys, saying he believes if done right, they can accurately measure not just the attitudes of residents toward city government, but the city's strong and weak points from the public's view. Over the years, they can also measure progress, he said.

"I'm interested in continuing the good things that are being done here, but do them based on what customers need and want," Gonzalez said. "Sometimes we don't see things from our customer's point of view, and when we do, we find we can be most effective and work on ways to be most efficient."

The city has conducted citizen surveys every two years since 2004 when former City Manager Joyce Wilson came on board, and the latest is now underway. The surveys are conducted through the Institute for Policy and Economic Development at the University of Texas at El Paso and measure citizen's attitudes and perceptions toward the city and its services.

Gonzalez didn't directly respond when asked if he had asked for the current survey. He said they had to be very specific and targeted in order to effect change.

One term that may become well known in El Paso under his leadership is Lean Six Sigma, a managerial concept that aims to eliminate waste and improve service. The concept has various levels of mastery identified by belt colors, much like in karate.

Gonzalez is a Lean Six Sigma black belt, and under his administration in Irving, earned him praise and criticism. He touts that Irving saved $44 million during his seven-year tenure under the concept and that it was done without layoffs. But a 2013 Dallas Morning News analysis showed more than 100 positions were eliminated since Gonzalez took office and some 100 more were being held open. The analysis also suggests that "the number of low-paid employees shrunk while higher-paid executives increased," the paper reported.

As the El Paso city manager, Gonzalez will oversee some 6,200 employees.

On the staffing end, Gonzalez said his first plan of action is to observe and listen.

"Wherever I go and look at organization, whether municipal or military, I always want to assess first, do a lot of listening," said Gonzalez, who retired as a lieutenant colonel after 22 years in the U.S. Army Reserve. "There has to be a lot of observation on processes, systems and people to really help the staff better implement programs." He said he believes in giving employees the opportunity and responsibility to lead, giving them ownership and pride in their work and improving morale.

Gonzalez said he believes the city has a strong staff, "now it's just a matter of looking at what areas we can add value to and help them do their job more effectively."

Mayor Oscar Leeser said he didn't have any specific direction or projects for Gonzalez to tackle in his first few months on the job.

"I think the council and the mayor right now are just looking forward to work with him moving forward," said Leeser, who often responds to questions in the third person.

Interim City Manager Sean McGlynn will likely return to an interim deputy city manager position, but Leeser said that would be up to Gonzalez to decide.

Some change took place even before Gonzalez was hired.

Deputy City Manager Jane Shang was put on paid administrative leave and is working from home on some assignments, according to a city document obtained by the El Paso Times.

Linda Bell Thomas, the city's Human Resources director, said she could not comment specifically on why Shang was put on leave because it was a personnel matter.

Shang, who was appointed deputy city manager in April 2008, will remain on administrative leave through Dec. 31, Thomas said. Shang had been publicly accused by some council members of not responding to their requests and not working to push through projects they had requested.

Leeser would not answer questions about who placed Shang on leave or for what reasons, citing personnel matters.

Leeser said that nothing will change immediately when asked about McGlynn's future position and how Shang's administrative leave impacts the structure of the deputy city managers.

"The only thing that's changing is that Mr. Gonzalez will become the city manager," Leeser said. "Mr. Gonzalez will handle all that and that will be something that he'll be working on."

The five-year employment contract for Gonzalez includes an annual base salary of about $239,000 and $15,000 a year in deferred compensation. He will also receive a monthly $500 car allowance, and $2,500 a month for housing expenses during the first six months of employment. He also will be allowed up to $10,000 in relocation expenses.

Gonzalez, 47, had served as the city manager in Irving, Texas, for seven years before a mutual parting agreement ended with a lucrative exit contract. He left that job in December 2013. The Dallas Morning News reported that the city of Irving spent more than $2 million on his compensation during his tenure.

He last served as vice president of a construction company in Fort Worth. He previously served as the city manager in Harlingen, Texas, as well as assistant city manager in Lubbock and Dallas.